Julie Bishop

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Australia’s dynamic Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, regularly rubs shoulders with some of the world’s most influential and accomplished women. Think high-flyers such as human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, former US First Lady Michelle Obama or Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Yet when it comes to finding inspiration, our Foreign Minister looks much closer to home.

“I met a group of young university undergraduates in New Guinea recently and they were some of the most inspiring people I have ever met,” says Julie. “They were all from small rural villages and had fought and scraped to give themselves an education. That’s struggle. That’s overcoming adversity. With such determination, I wonder what these women will be able do for their communities in the future.”

She sees similar promise in the faces of our Women of the Future entrants each year. “They show the same innovation and hope,” she says,

“and that’s why I enjoy being a judge so much.”